Winter Olympics begin with powerful message of peace

Opening ceremony full of symbolism brings strong emotions in Pyeongchang

Towards the end of an opening ceremony that flitted between vibrancy and schmaltz, an image of two doves appeared on the floor of the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium and the opening bars of John Lennon’s Imagine struck up. As four of South Korea’s most famous singers tried to outdo each by singing each line even more earnestly than the next, the stage was flooded by volunteers holding candles of peace.

You didn’t need a degree in east Asian studies to work out what was happening. This felt like the International Olympic Committee making a full-frontal pitch for this year’s Nobel peace prize.